Metal barrel and the like.



J. H. NICHOLSON.

METAL BARREL AND THE LIKE.-

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 9,1912.

1,18,545. Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F .1. LP

, J. H. NICHOLSON.

\. METAL BARREL AND THE LIKE.

D 1 9 11 0o 1 m J. d 6 u H m a P L M a T c o D E L H N 0 H A. W H P A 5 4 5 I 8 6 1 1 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR WITNESSES JOHN H. NICHOLSON, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FIFTN TO I I SAMUEL 3i. DUFF, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

METAL BARREL Ann THE LIKE.

Patented J an. 18, 1916.

Applicationfiledbctober 9, 1912. Serial No. 724,748.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN H. NICHOLSON,

i a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Metal Barrels and the like, of. which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,

reference being had to theaccompanymg drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichv 1 Figure 1 is a side view of a completed barrel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of one end portion of the barrel. Fig. 3 is a development of the bodyforming strip unwound. Figs. 4 and 5 are developments showing the end portions of said strip on a larger scale. Fig. 6 is a de-' tail sectional view showing the manner of attaching and securing the reinforcing strips, and Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view showing a modification.

My invention has relation to metal barrels, kegs and the. like; and is designed to provide a metal. barrel having" its body formed from a single continuous strip of metal wound in shape, together withv eflec tive reinforcing means capable of being wound concurrently with the strip.

The invention provides a metal barrel which can be cheaply and rapidly con strueted and which is exceedingly strong I and durable.

In carrying out my invention, I take a relatively-narrow sheet metal str1p.2 of the proper length and wind it spirally upon a suitable mandrel to form the body shown in Fig. 1. Previous to winding this strip, one of its edges is provided with .a metal reinforcement 3 having the opposite grooves 4; therein. This reinforcement is wound at the same time as the strip, and incidentally with the winding operations the vedgesof the grooves 4 are forced inwardly from the position shown in dotted'lines in Fig. 6 to the full line positions shown in said figure.

The edges of the strip 2 are preferably formed with reinforcements 5, so that when the walls for the grooves 4 are displaced in the manner just described, the edges of the strip 2 will be firmly gripped and rigidly secured, so that the body of the barrel becomes practically all one piece without joints. The reinforcing strips 3 maybe of various forms. The form shown in Fig. '6 is generally rectangular, while that shown at 3 in Fig. 7 is of circular form in crosssection.

In order that the barrel-body so formed strip 2 to'a long thin point, I shape the end portions of said strip 2 in a manner now to be described, and which is illustrated in Figs. 3, I and 5. Each end portionof the strip is narrowed on its inner side-from a point a to the point 6, a square shoulder or ofi'set being formed at the point I). From this shoulder or offset another narrowing takes place to the extreme end of the strip. The distance between the points I) and c is equal to one turn of the winding, so that the end at a, when the strip is wound will fit against the shoulder or offset at b. The re inforcing strip 3 terminates at a point adj acent to the shoulder or offset 6, aswill be seen at Fig. 1; and the top and bottom edges of the barrel-body are each reinforced by a shall have square ends without necessitating the narrow ng of the end portions of the.

separate strip 6, which is preferably of j somewhat larger cross-section than the'strip The short joints at (Z are preferably closed by electric welds. The end reinforcing strips 6 also serve to secure in vplace the head members 7 of the barrel, as shown in Figs. 2 and 7. For this purpose, these head memberslare provided with the upwardly turned flanges 8 which lie against the inner sides of the end portions of the strip 2, and the grooves in the strip 6 are simultaneouslyforced over the edges of the flanges. and strips, as clearly shown in these figures.

It will be seen that the body of the barrel is given the usual bilge; and it is this bilge which causes the development of the strip 2, shown in Fig. 3, to assume the S-shape, shown in Fig. 3 when unwound. It will be apparent that duringthe winding operation, from one endtoward the center, the

diameter of the barrel-body is gradually inand a less length from said center point to l unit length ofthe strip at the end of the barrel is greater than at the central portion of the barrel. This is also shown in Fig. 3 by the form of the curved end portion, the

degree of curvature being in proportion to the difference in the length of the two edges of the strip.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent, since it provides aibarrel or the like which can be readily formed from sheet metal, and which when finished is practically without seams, as the spirally wound reinforcing member is so firmly united that the main body-forming strip becomes practically integral therewith- The reinforcement not only stiifens the barrel body, but it also very largely protects the main bodyforming strip from direct contact in handling the barrel.

By the provision of the ofisets b, I avoid the necessity of tapering the end portions of the strip 2 to sharp points in order to square up the end edges of the barrel body. This is an important 'feature,ybecause it is obviously objectionable to taper these end portionsto a sharp point. By terminating the locking member adjacent the offsets b, I not only provide suflicient space beyond the points of termination to enable the barrel body to receive the strong edge reinforcing strip 6; but this also provides for the employment of relatively deep inset heads. If the locking strip was carried beyond these offsets, it would obviously interfere with the seating of the inset heads. These ofisets in the end portions of the strip 2 change. the form of the curves assumed by the end portions of the strip.- Thus, in Figs. 4 and 5, the dotted lines indicate the theoretical forms of these curves, whereasthe full lines represent the actual curves. The difference is due to the fact that the ofisets change the pitch of the edges of the strip 2 in the last portion. The upper edge becomes a true circumference of the barrel, whereas the portion of the lower edge which fits into the offset is quite materially changed from,

what it would have beenif there were no such ofi's'et.

. lVhile I have shown my invention as applied to a bilged barrel,--it will be obvious that it can be used to equal advantage in the manufacture of barrels and kegs which are of uniform diameter. In such cases, the

blank instead of assuming the s-shape of Fig. '3 i would be substantially straight throughout its central portion. Its end porstri bends or curves with respect to the center lines of such end portions. These end portions also would have similar ofl'sets to those shown; and it is because of these otfsets, which give the two edges of the strip different lengths in these portions thereof, that these reverse bends in these center lines occur.

What I claim is:

1. A metal barrel or keg formed of a spirally wound sheet metal strip and a spirally wound locking and reinforcing bar interposed between and uniting adjacent spiral edges of the strip, the leading edge of the strip from. each end of the barrel to the center point being longer than the opposite edge, while the length of each coil from each end of the barrel to the center of the barrel is shorter than the length of the adj acent preceding coil, whereby the barrel is bilged from each end toward the center;

substantially as described.

2. A metal barrel or keg consisting of a spirally wound sheet metal strip and a spirally wound locking and reinforcing bar interposed between and uniting adjacent spiral edges of the strip, the edge portions of said strip being unequally stretched, whereby the leading edge of the strip is longer than its opposite edge from one end of the barrel to the center thereof, and is shorter than the opposite edge from said center point to the opposite end of the barrel, while the coils of the strip and bar at thecenter of the barrel are of greater diameter than the coils of the and bar at each end, whereby the bar- I'BllS bilged from each end toward the center; substantially as described.

3. A metallic barrel or keg formed from a spirally wound sheet metal strip and a spirally wound locking and reinforcing member interposed between and uniting adjacent spiral edges of the strip, said member terminating at its ends at a distance from the end edges of the barrel body, and heads secured within the end portions of the body; substantially as described.

4. A metallic barrel or keg formed from a spirally wound sheet metal strip and a spiwithin the end portions of the barrel body beyond the point where the locking member terminates substantially as described.

'5. Ametallic barrel or keg formed from a spirally wound sheet" metal strip" and a spirally wound locking and reinforcing member interposed between and uniting adjacent spiral edges of the strip, said member being shorter than the strip,the strip having an inward offset at the points where the said locking member terminates; substantially as de eribsd.

6. A metallic barrel or keg formed from a spirally wound sheet metal strip and a spi rally wound locking and reinforcing member interposed between and uniting adjacent spiral edges of the strip, said member being shorter than the strip, the end edges of the barrel formed by the edges of the strip hav-' ing separate reinforcing members secured thereto, and heads also secured within the end portions of the barrel body beyond the points where the locking member terminates; substantially as described.

7. A metallic barrel or keg, formed from a spirally wound sheet metal ,strip,.and a spirally wound locking and 'reinforcing member interposed between and uniting adj acent spiral edges of the strip, said member being shorter than the strip, and the end* like, comprising a continuous metal stripv having reversely curved bent portions, and each end portion having an offset therein, substantially as described. e

10. A blank for metallic barrels and the like, comprising a continuous metal strip having reversely curved end portions, and each end portionhavingan ofiset therein, the blank being alsonarrowed at its inner edge at both sides of each ofl'set; substantially as described.

l1. A-metallic' barrelor keg formed of a I spirally wound sheet metal strip and a spirally wound locking and reinforcin bar interposed between and uniting ad acent spiral edges of the strip, the continuous metal strip having reversely bent portions, and each therein, substantially as described.

12. A metallic barrel or keg formed of a end of-said strip having an offset spirally wound, sheet metal strip and a spirally wound locking and reinforcing bar interposed between and uniting ad acent spiral edges of the strip, each end portion of the strip having an offset therein, the 'reinforcing bar extending from one offset to .the other oflset, substantially as described.

13. A metallic barrel or keg formed of a spirally wound continuous sheet metal strip and a spirally wound continuous locking and reinforcing bar interposed between and uniting adjacent spiraledges of the strip,

said locking and reinforclng bar being shorter than the sheet metal strip, there being an unreinforced seam extending fromeach end of the locking-and reinforcing bar to the end of the barrel, substantially as described.

14. A metallic barrelor keg formed of a spirally wound continuous sheet metal strip and a spirally wound continuous locking and reinforcing bar interposed between ,and uniting adjacent spiral edges of the strip, said locking and reinforcingbar being shorter than the sheet metal strip, there being an unreinforced seam extending from each end of the locking and reinforcing bar to theend of the barrel, heads for said barrel having outwardly extending flanges, and

a reinforcing and securing strip engaging the ends of the barrel and the flanges of the 'heads, substantially as described.

15. A metallic barrel or keg formed of a spirally wound continuous sheet metal strip and a spirally wound continuous locking and reinforcing bar interposed between and in, the reinforcing bar extending from the offset at one end to the offset at the other end of the strip, said oflsets being arranged .85 uniting adjacent spiral edges of the strip, each end of the strip having an offset thereto receive the adjacent ends of the strip, substantially as described. 7 a v, In testimonywhereof, I have hereunto set myhand. ,7

JOHN. H. NICHOLSON.

Witnesses:

Gno. B. BLEMING,

- Gno. H. Penman. 

